Eberron: Scales of War

Sul, Dravago 1, 998 YK - The End to Modra

2

APR/14

The party has taken advantage of the tent provided by Leena to rest and tend to their wounds, preparing to confront Modra later that evening. At the sixth bell, they arise, and spend some time in the marketplace picking up some sorely needed supplies. As the hour grows nearer to the eighth bell, the party gathers near the edge of the camp where they joined by Leena.

Leena: I hope you are well rested. I know not what you will find in the dark foundry, but I can be sure that should Modra be in there, he will fight with all the fury he is known for.
Berend Stonekeeper: And I’m sure there are other things in there that will be just as viscous.
Leena nods.
Leena: Yes, you would be right in that assumption. The foundry holds Sarshan’s experiments, most of which I have not laid eyes on. If the rumors I hear are true, you will need all your skill to best both the beasts and Modra.
Drake Ilvenet: Sounds delightful.
Berend Stonekeeper: Well, as we always do, we’ll find a way to survive.
Leena nods, then looks up to the sky.
Leena: The hour grows late. The troops will begin their movement soon. You should make your way to the foundry and get into position.
Berend Stonekeeper: Certainly.
Leena: I will you good fortune, and offer you my thanks. Modra was once an honorable creature, but he has grown reckless. Still, I would not wish upon anyone what Sarshan surely has in mind for him.
Berend Stonekeeper: Thank you for your wishes. So as a quick note, are we trying to sneak in with the mercenaries, or are we going to see if we can squeeze through that crack in the wall?
Leena: How you get into the foundry matters little to me. Once you leave this camp, I know you no longer. Now go, you have but minutes before the hour is upon us. Go!
Leena turns abruptly, disappearing into the crowds.
Dulinamin: I believe we’re going for the crack in the wall and then finding him and his mercenaries afterward.
Berend Stonekeeper: That works for me.

The party leaves the confines of Leena’s camp, making their way over to the alleys near the dark Foundry. As they go, Mikal passes out the results of his day’s labors, a curious mixture that he says will help to resist some of the Shadowfell’s native energies. When they reach the alley across the street from the foundry, they quickly spot the breech they’d noticed before, and ascertain that it liekly will be easy to get through. However, there is the still the matter of the guards around the building. A claxon call of horns sounds out from the east. A haze of red light glimmers against the clouds as the cascade of the magma shadow rift flares. As Leena predicted, a huge force of mercenaries is on the move, heading out along the west road. The guards at the tower and the bridge turn to watch as Sarshan’s forces move out, leaving an open path to the breech.

The party quickly makes their way across the street tot he breech, trying to sneak past the nearby guards. It is indeed fortunate that the marching army makes creates such a din with their passing, as the party’s dash across the road is hardly soundless. Still, they make it to the breech where Berend determines that it needs to be secured before the hole can be widened, else the wall will collapse on the first person to pass through. They quickly grab onto any nearby materials and secure the loosest stones and debris before Berend announces that it is safe to pass. The hole is widened, and the party at last enters the dark foundry.

Within the foundry, lava flows into a tench that divides the room. The red glow of the lava trench is shrouded by shifting clouds of shadow and steam. Huge stone vats with steel doors line both sides of the massive chamber, where great arrangements of pipes and vents connect them.
Two squads of what look like hobgoblins, their bodies seemingly cloaked in shadow, work here, supervised by another cloaked figure. They work busily at two sections of pipe that divert and channel the lava flow. Closer to the door, two other shadowgoblins stand guard.
Before the enemy has a chance to react, the part attacks! Pythas conjures two icy tentacles, placing them in the middle of the nearest clusters of shadowgoblins, as the rest of the adventurers race into engage the creatures. The shadowgoblin who seems to be in charge shrieks in rage, glaring at the party with malicious fury. It’s MOdra, and he is PISSED!

Modra snarls as he sprints for the closest vat, pulling down on a great lever next to the door. He dodges out of the way of a blast of steam. As the door opens, it spills a huge mass to the ground in a fountain of viscous green fluid. Out of it rises an enormous two-headed boar, bellowing as it claws the ground.

Mikal d’Cannith: This won’t stop us Modra, it will only make your end worse! You should have left us alone, you cowardly little shit!

While Pythas’s conjured tentacles make quick work of the nearby shadowgoblins, there is stillt he matter of the huge boar, Modra, and the pair of shadowgoblins shooting arrows at them from the south. Still, the party is hardly a novice crew, and they quickly manage to turn the tide in their favor. The boar goes down first, leaving Modra alone to face the surrounding adventurers.

Pythas: Modra, surrender now and we won’t turn you over to Sarshan!.
Modra: You’ll have to kill me first, human! I’ll see you in hell!

Modra takes a final swing at Drake before trying to make a run for it. However, as he passes him by, Drake swings his longsword, knocking the dark creeper to the floor where he lays in a pool of his own blood.

Drake Ilvenet: Well Modra, you did insist after all.

With Modra and the boar defeated, the party focuses on the two enemies remaining that continue to fire arrows at them. The shadowgoblins should have taken the opportunity to flee, however, as they are quickly overpowered and slain.

Drake Ilvenet: Well that didn’t quite go as planned, but any fight you can walk away from and all that.
Berend Stonekeeper: Well, you know the rule. All plans are shot as soon as combat begins.
Dulinamin: We fulfilled the bargain we made with Leena.

A sudden rasping breath startles them. When they move to investigate, they discover that Modra is alive… barely. The dark creeper holds his hand to a wound in his side from which copious amounts of blood flow. His breath shallow, he stares at the adventurers with undisguised hatred.

Drake Ilvenet (frowing): Well I guess my aim was a touch off then.
Modra: You… you think… you think you’ve won? Fools!
Dulinamin: I certainly think you didn’t win, so that is at least a partial victory for us.
Drake Ilvenet: I’m feeling pretty good for the moment.
Berend Stonekeeper: Battles are won and lost every day… the war, and life continue.
Modra curses.
Modra: I didn’t mean me! You allow Sarshan to continue building his armies, and moving them to your world. Hahaha! You’ll see. He needed to be stopped. But it’s no matter. You may have killed me, but the damage is done. I finally got that bastard back!
Mikal d’Cannith: And you wanted to help cause his downfall?
Berend Stonekeeper: What was your plan? I’m game to make Sarshan pay, as well.
Dulinamin: It’s hard to imagine you had noble intentions here.
Modra: Bah! I never claimed nobility. I claim revenge!
Mikal pulls out a healing potion, shaking it as he shows it to Modra.
Mikal d’Cannith: Hmmm? Make it worth our while and this won’t be your end.
Modra coughs weakly.
Mikal d’Cannith: Fuck it.

Mikal grabs the dark creeper and quickly pours the contests of the vial down Modra’s throat. Modra tries to spit the liquid out, but anticipating such an action, Mikal slaps his hand over Modra’s mouth and nose. The dark creeper thrashes in panic, trying to avoid swallowing the healing potion, but ultimately concedes. His thrashing stops as the bleeding slows and the worst of his wounds begin to heal.

Drake Ilvenet: Oh well, I never got what I wanted for Festivus either. Just want to point out that I am now all on board with the killing him plan.
Mikal d’Cannith (ignoring Drake): Now, what did you do?
Modra: You bastard! What didn’t we do? We’ve damaged the pipes that control the lava flow. With the pipes broken, the pressure will build, and this whole side of the mountain will explode, bringing down that asshole’s tower and this damned Umbraforge! Of course, this is worse for you than it is for me! Hahaha!
Mikal d’Cannith: Nice. In which case, how the fuck do we get out of here?
Modra: The only way out of here is through the portal in the tower. And you’re not getting through the front gate, let me tell you that right now. I do know a way in though.
Berend Stonekeeper: Oh, and what is this way?
Mikal d’Cannith: And should you survive your sabotage, what will you do?
Modra: Pfft, I don’t expect to survive. That was never the intent. I just want that bastard brought low.
Drake Ilvenet: Well then imagine a magical world of wonder where we don’t just run you through right now.
Modra: Fine. Kill me now. And stumble around here until the place blows up. Matters nothing to me. But this was his laboratory, and Sarshan would never lower himself so much as to walk among the rabble of his hired mercs. No, he has a tunnel that connects the foundry to the tower.
Drake Ilvenet: You are not one for the finer subtlety of language. You just said you didn’t care if you died, well now you might not. Food for thought?
Modra (grins wickedly): It’s early yet.
Berend Stonekeeper: Supposing you know where this tunnel is… what’s say you tell us.
Dulinamin: Tell us where the tunnel is, or we can use you to buy our way in. I’m sure Sarshan will have enough time to make you regret that decision.
Modra (blanches): Look, I was planning to tell you. Come here.

Modra stands up stiffly, moving over to the nearest pipe. He points down a small path formed by the pipe, tanks, and nearby wall.

Modra: The passage is through that wall there. Just need to follow it through, and you’ll end up in the tower in no time.
Dulinamin: And there’s no way that your sabotage here can be undone?
Mikal d’Cannith: Not if he’s any good.
Drake Ilvenet: Besides I’m pretty sure we’re just fine with blowing up the… Umm!

As the party looks to where the dark creeper points, Modra suddenly throws himself into a backwards tumble, coming to his feet several feet away from the adventurers. Before they have a chance to react, they watch in horror as the dark creeper darts to the edge of the lava trench and throws himself into the molten flow. He is vaporized instantly.

Drake Ilvenet: O…kay. Did anyone else not see that coming?
Berend Stonekeeper: Damn creepers… I’ll never understand their logic.
Dulinamin: I thought he was a survivor and was expecting a guide out of this plane, followed by him somehow escaping.
Berend Stonekeeper (shrugs): Dust to dust… ashes to ashes…
Drake Ilvenet: Crazy to crazy